The United Kingdom will replace all physical visa documents with electronic visas (e-Visas) starting February 25, 2026, marking a major step in the country’s digital-border overhaul. Travellers will no longer receive visa stickers or Biometric Residence Cards (BRPs); instead, approvals will be issued online and linked to the applicant’s UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) account.
How the new system works
Under the new system, e-Visa holders must create a UKVI online account, where they can access and manage their digital immigration status before travelling. Passports and other personal details must be kept up to date in the account, as authorities will use it to verify identity and confirm eligibility to study, work, or visit the UK.
The UKVI account can be set up at the official government website. The process is free and requires a passport, BRP card (if applicable), email address, and phone number. Failure to have the correct authorisation could result in refusal to board flights to the UK.
Impact on travellers
British High Commissioner to Jamaica, Alicia Herbert, explained that applicants will now retain their passports throughout the visa application process, and the issued visa will appear digitally in the UKVI account. “It’s happening globally…more online, more electronic, rather than that physical stamp in the passport,” she said, noting that the shift aims to improve efficiency and modernise the visa system.
Travellers from countries that do not require a visa will also need a valid Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). British citizens and dual nationals remain exempt but must use a British passport or Certificate of Entitlement. Those exempt from ETA requirements will receive a Digital Record of Exemption instead of a physical sticker.
A global digital shift
The move to e-Visas is part of the UK’s wider digital strategy, which includes replacing BRP cards for resident migrants and rolling out electronic authorisations for visa-exempt travellers. Officials say the shift is designed to streamline processing, reduce paperwork, and better track the immigration status of travellers.
Herbert emphasised that while the format of visas is changing, visa requirements themselves remain unchanged for Jamaican applicants.
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